Jeremiah 40

haddavar asher-hayah el-yirmeyahu me'et Adonai akhar shallakh oto nevuzaradan rav-tabbakhim min-haramah beqakhto oto vehu-asur baziqqim betokh kol-galut yerushalai͏m vihudah hammuglim bavelah

The word that came to Jeremiah from GOD, after Nebuzaradan, the chief of the guards, set him free at Ramah, to which he had taken him, chained in fetters, among those from Jerusalem and Judah who were being exiled to Babylon.

vayyiqqakh rav-tabbakhim leyirmeyahu vayyomer elayw Adonai elohekha dibber et-hara'ah hazzot el-hammaqom hazzeh

The chief of the guards took charge of Jeremiah, and he said to him, “The ETERNAL your God threatened this place with this disaster;

vayyave vayya'as Adonai ka'asher dibber ki-khatatem la-Adonai velo-shematem beqolo vehayah lakhem (dvr) [haddavar] hazzeh

and now GOD has brought it about, by acting on the threat—because you sinned against GOD and did not pay heed. That is why this has happened to you.

ve'attah hinneh fittakhtikha hayyom min-haziqqim asher al-yadekha im-tov be'enekha lavo itti vavel bo ve'asim et-eni alekha ve'im-ra be'enekha lavo-itti vavel khadal re'eh kol-ha'arets lefanekha el-tov ve'el-hayyashar be'enekha lalekhet shammah lekh

Now, I release you this day from the fetters that were on your hands. If you would like to go with me to Babylon, come, and I will look after you. And if you don’t want to come with me to Babylon, you need not. See, the whole land is before you: go wherever seems good and right to you.”—

ve'odennu lo-yashuv veshuvah el-gedalyah ven-akhiqam ben-shafan asher hifqid melekh-bavel be'are yehudah veshev itto betokh ha'am o el-kol-hayyashar be'enekha lalekhet lekh vayyitten-lo rav-tabbakhim arukhah umaset vayeshallekhehu

But [Jeremiah] still did not turn back.—“Or go to Gedaliah son of Ahikam son of Shaphan, whom the king of Babylon has put in charge of the towns of Judah, and stay with him among the people, or go wherever you want to go.” The chief of the guards gave him an allowance of food, and dismissed him.

vayyavo yirmeyahu el-gedalyah ven-akhiqam hammitspatah vayyeshev itto betokh ha'am hannisharim ba'arets

So Jeremiah came to Gedaliah son of Ahikam at Mizpah, and stayed with him among the people who were left in the land.

vayyishme'u khol-sare hakhayalim asher bassadeh hemmah ve'anshehem ki-hifqid melekh-bavel et-gedalyahu ven-akhiqam ba'arets vekhi hifqid itto anashim venashim vataf umiddallat ha'arets me'asher lo-hoglu bavelah

The army officers in the open country, and their men with them, heard that the king of Babylon had put Gedaliah son of Ahikam in charge of the region, and that he had put in his charge the men, women, and children—of the poorest in the land—those who had not been exiled to Babylon.

vayyavo'u el-gedalyah hammitspatah veyishma'el ben-netanyahu veyokhanan veyonatan bene-qareakh userayah ven-tankhumet uvene (vfy) [efay] hannetofati vizanyahu ben-hamma'akhati hemmah ve'anshehem

So they with their men came to Gedaliah at Mizpah—Ishmael son of Nethaniah; Johanan and Jonathan the sons of Kareah; Seraiah son of Tanhumeth; the sons of Ephai the Netophathite; and Jezaniah son of the Maacathite.

vayyishava lahem gedalyahu ven-akhiqam ben-shafan ule'anshehem lemor al-tire'u me'avod hakkasdim shevu va'arets ve'ivdu et-melekh bavel veyitav lakhem

Gedaliah son of Ahikam son of Shaphan reassured them and their men, saying, “Do not be afraid to serve the Chaldeans. Stay in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and it will go well with you.

va'ani hinni yoshev bammitspah la'amod lifne hakkasdim asher yavo'u elenu ve'attem isfu yayin veqayits veshemen vesimu bikhlekhem ushevu be'arekhem asher-tefastem

I am going to stay in Mizpah to attend upon the Chaldeans who will come to us. But you may gather wine and figs and oil and put them in your own vessels, and settle in the towns you have occupied.”

vegam kol-hayyehudim asher-bemo'av uvivne-ammon uve'edom va'asher bekhol-ha'aratsot shame'u ki-natan melekh-bavel she'erit lihudah vekhi hifqid alehem et-gedalyahu ben-akhiqam ben-shafan

Likewise, all the Judeans who were in Moab, Ammon, and Edom, or who were in other lands, heard that the king of Babylon had let a remnant stay in Judah, and that he had put Gedaliah son of Ahikam son of Shaphan in charge of them.

vayyashuvu khol-hayyehudim mikkol-hammeqomot asher niddekhu-sham vayyavo'u erets-yehudah el-gedalyahu hammitspatah vayya'asfu yayin vaqayits harbeh me'od

All these Judeans returned from all the places to which they had scattered. They came to the land of Judah, to Gedaliah at Mizpah, and they gathered large quantities of wine and figs.

veyokhanan ben-qareakh vekhol-sare hakhayalim asher bassadeh ba'u el-gedalyahu hammitspatah

Johanan son of Kareah, and all the army officers in the open country, came to Gedaliah at Mizpah

vayyomeru elayw hayadoa teda ki ba'alis melekh bene-ammon shalakh et-yishma'el ben-netanyah lehakkotekha nafesh velo-he'emin lahem gedalyahu ben-akhiqam

and said to him, “Do you know that King Baalis of Ammon has sent Ishmael son of Nethaniah to kill you?” But Gedaliah son of Ahikam would not believe them.

veyokhanan ben-qareakh amar el-gedalyahu vasseter bammitspah lemor elekhah na ve'akkeh et-yishma'el ben-netanyah ve'ish lo yeda lammah yakkekkah nefesh venafotsu kol-yehudah hanniqbatsim elekha ve'avedah she'erit yehudah

Johanan son of Kareah also said secretly to Gedaliah at Mizpah, “Let me go and strike down Ishmael son of Nethaniah—and nobody else will know about it; otherwise he will kill you, and all the Judeans who have gathered about you will be dispersed, and the remnant of Judah will perish!”

vayyomer gedalyahu ven-akhiqam el-yokhanan ben-qareakh al-[ta'aseh] (tsh) et-haddavar hazzeh ki-sheqer attah dover el-yishma'el

But Gedaliah son of Ahikam answered Johanan son of Kareah, “Do not do such a thing: what you are saying about Ishmael is not true!”